House Bill 446

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI SKILL STANDARDS BOARD AS AN ADVISORY BOARD TO THE GOVERNOR, THE LEGISLATURE AND THE STATE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STATEWIDE SYSTEM OF INDUSTRY-DEFINED, INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED SKILL STANDARDS AND CREDENTIALS FOR CERTAIN SKILLED OCCUPATIONS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD; TO PROVIDE THE DUTIES OF THE BOARD; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The Mississippi Skill Standards Board is created as an advisory board to the Governor, the Legislature and the state workforce development system on the development of a statewide system of industry-defined, industry-recognized skill standards and credentials for all major skilled occupations that:

(a) Provide strong employment and earnings opportunities in the state; and

(b) Are nationally recognized; and

(2) The board is composed of thirteen (13) members appointed by the Governor. The term of each board member shall run concurrent with the term of the Governor. The board consists of the following members:

(a) Eight (8) members representing business, two (2) of whom must be from business entities that employ fewer than fifty (50) employees and one (1) each from the four-sector clusters as defined by the Mississippi Technology Alliance;

(b) Two (2) members representing workers;

(c) One (1) member representing secondary education; (d) One (1) member representing two-year public post-secondary education; and

(e) One (1) member representing four-year public post-secondary education.

(3) The Governor shall appoint the presiding officer of the board from the members representing business.

(4) The Skill Standards Board shall:

(a) Validate nationally established skill standards to guide curriculum development, training, assessment and certification of workforce skills;

(b) Convene industry groups to develop skill standards and certification procedures for industries and occupations in which standards have not been established or adopted and recognize the skill standards and certification procedures;

(c) Review standards developed by other states and nations and enter into agreements for mutual recognition of credentials to enhance portability of skills;

(d) Promote, in collaboration with the secondary and post-secondary entities, the use of standards and credentials among employers; and

(e) Develop a memorandum of understanding by and between the workforce and education entities for the effective development, implementation, operations and outcomes of the skills standards effort.

(5) The board shall meet at the call of the presiding officer as often as necessary to accomplish its work, and the board shall meet a minimum of once each quarter in a fiscal year. (6) A member of the board is not entitled to compensation for service on the board but is entitled to reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred in performing board duties.

(7) The State Board for Community and Junior Colleges shall provide staff support for the board as necessary.

(8) The Skill Standards Board shall report periodically to the Governor and shall provide annual reports to the Governor, the Legislature and the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2003.